SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—A poll released Wednesday has promising news for marijuana users who hope California will join the two other states that have voted to legalize recreational use of the drug.

Richard Lee, founder of a pot-growing school in Oakland , led a 2010 initiative to legalize marijuana in California. (Manny Crisosotomo/Sacramento Bee/MCT via Getty Images)

A Field Poll found that a solid majority of those surveyed this month—54 percent—support allowing weed to be sold and taxed like alcohol.

That is four percentage points higher than the last time Field pollsters posed the question to registered voters in July 2010. A few months later, a ballot initiative that would have made California the first state to back marijuana legalization received only 46 percent of the ballots cast and lost by fewer than 700,000 votes.

Voters in Washington and Colorado last year decided to flout federal drug laws and permit adults 21 and older to have small amounts of pot and to establish state-sanctioned growers and sellers. Opinion polls from those two states ahead of the November election showed less support for legalizing marijuana than participants in the California poll are expressing.

Unsurprising to anyone familiar with the state’s regional preferences, the idea received the most backing in the San Francisco Bay area, where nearly 7 in 10 voters endorsed marijuana legalization.

A group of marijuana activists already has announced plans to go back to the ballot with a legalization initiative in 2014.

The poll also found that support for medical marijuana remains high throughout the California despite a push by federal prosecutors and many local governments to crack down on storefront dispensaries.

Of those surveyed, 70 percent said they support California’s 16-year-old law allowing people with a doctor’s recommendation to grow and possess marijuana without fear of state prosecution.

Although nearly 200 cities and counties have banned retail dispensaries that sell medical marijuana, 58 percent of the Field poll respondents said they would not mind having a dispensary where they live.

This attempt to change prop 215 is simply giving restrictions to states that were never there with the Feds. All so a few can make profits at the expense of everyone. Same as the MMJ states or WA and CO.

Holder or Obama can’t just “decide” what laws to enforce or not. We don’t really want politicians with that much power either. Yes the provision is there to reclassify, and has been all along. Through all of the ASA trials to reschedule and through his first term. If that option was used it would solve our problems as far as selling it. Except if they only lowered the scheduling to the same as Marinol. Removing it completely would also jeopardize the status quo industries competing with Hemp. Those corporations actually perpetuating the Ganjawar. Either way, individuals would still be under state guidelines and restrictions. As it stands Hemp and Selling cannabis would remain illegal Commerce for the most part.

The CSA, controlled substance act is the problem. It is not science, it is not fair and it doesn’t even apply to the reality of cannabis. Until that is corrected there is only one way they can rule. The Supreme Court decided all exchanges are Commerce and governed by the Federal government. That is why the buyers clubs are busted by the IRS. Individual use in states with laws are governed by states. When states such as CO and WA limit amounts to unrealistic quantities no individual could grow. It means states are restricting citizens, not the Feds. CA as it stands is the only state without restrictions. It is also an initiative written by the people so it over rides all politicians and local councils appeasement’s. The Feds have established what a reasonable amount for an individual is. 300 joints every 25 days or 12 per day. They have also noted in the CSA they will not raid crops under 100 plants. Leaving that to states.

Obama never said he would end the drug war or permit people to sell it. He said he would leave individuals in states with laws alone. Not compassion, no jurisdiction. As it stands Sativex is marketing a sublingual spray distributed by Bayer probably grown by the same Mississippi Farm that services the IND patients establishing the reasonable amounts. The Feds also have patents on individual cannabinoids to synthetically produce drug store options. Leaving all sales illegal along with hemp.

So don’t let your politicians write your state laws. States arrested most of the 800,000 last year and years before. The courts have gag rules and mandatory minimum sentencing to deter jury trials. Leaving 96% copping a pleas bargain. Usually including rehabilitation asylums and urine testing profits. This prohibition has cost tax payers over a trillion dollars. Or it has profited some over a trillion dollars and they aren’t exited about
giving it up over doing what’s right.

❝The bill would specifically allow both the growing and possession of marijuana,❞

☛Prop 215 already does under Federal laws 10th amendment making growing and possession states rights on individuals. Just can’t sell it or possess more than the established reasonable amount.☚

❝direct the legislature to establish a regulatory, taxation and licensing structure for the retail sale of cannabis,❞

☛For a plant that grows like a weed. This is commerce and against the Federal Commerce clause as of Raich v Gonzales. Nature can not be taxed. Not raw tobacco or veggies. Only processed foods and plants. Licensing? Licensing? So now in an illicit market you want the criminals to come forward and provide info for licensing? In case when the Feds swoop in you can show it to them as they chain-saw your plants and you serve a mandatory minimum sentence for narcotics trafficking. Because the jury won’t know about your license due to the gag order. Good plan. Been there done that. Dead people and 5 and 10 year sentences.☚

❝legalize industrial hemp production❞

☛DeJaVu all over again. Ask Hawaii. Commerce, commerce, commerce. You could grow under 100 plants of Hemp and process it. Eat, wear or sell the products as we can already do with imported hemp. Feds still have jurisdiction on commercialism.☚

❝and prohibit state officials from enforcing federal law❞

☛State officials have been abusing the law since 1996. Politicians weasel in laws they should know are unConstitutional by the state. Waste time and money and the CA Supreme Court has already decided state officials can not enforce Federal laws including buyers clubs and large grows. But the Feds can. The IRS has, is and will as long as Wall St. says. As long as it is a threat to Fossil fools, synthetic food and fibers. Tree wood with less tensile strength and yield. Cotton with its 90 million pounds of abortion causing poisons not used or sold for Hemp. Steel, plastic from OPEC or carbohydrates. The Mother of Inventions was necessity and now is profits. Including shelving inventions that would take profits from status quo non renewable resources. So this threat of states rights when it isn’t. Isn’t much different than Neocons in Texas crying succession. The law is wrong to include cannabis, Hemp and Ganja. That is clear and that is what needs fixed. Not used Band-aids only getting peoples hopes and savings tied into a dead end, eventually. The first thing secured in the raids are not the pot, but the computers with customer and patient lists to check out at their leisure. Its not science, its politics. But prohibiting officials? Isn’t that an oxymoron? If they are enforcing Federal laws they are guilty of breaking the law. No local sheriff or town council can over rule a citizens state initiative. Prop 215 is the law. Nothing said about selling so it is not a state concern. Feds claim it is Commerce and contraband can not be sold. No limits stated either. So no one can enforce appeasement’s to the prison industry with strange fear mongered ordinances and quick buck revenues for cop-shops and budgets. Bread ties and baggies for $25 bucks, 6 plant limits, SB420 ha ha. None of it pertains to individuals growing reasonable amounts for themselves.☚

❝(which explicitly states that pot is illegal) over state law.❞

☛But it doesn’t. It says selling it is, intent to sell is. Having more than a reasonable amount is considered intent. A reasonable amount is Federally determined by the CSA and IND program. When states appease the prohibitionists. Then the individuals established rights according to each states laws. Is infringed. Not by the DEA, by the state that had no jurisdiction before caving to the lobbyists. So when politicians offer bills to desperate people they tend to be thankful for anything. Then when its passed it doesn’t matter. It will be here a while. You can legally grow a 4,380 joints a year for yourself, but you can’t physically grow an ounce or less. You have to buy it and that is Federally illegal. Flim flam, misdirection, feeding red herrings… to profit on prohibition.☚

❝While California voters rejected a marijuana legalization bill in 2010 by a margin of just under 700,000 votes, the backers of this current initiative hope that successful efforts mounted in Colorado and Washington in the interim may have helped push public opinion far enough in their direction to overcome any opposition.❞

☛No, people saw 19 for the wish it was and restrictions it brought to individuals for a few to make it convenient and civilized and quality assured yet still illicit merchandise. That is not the problem. Appeasing the prohibitionists when they are UnConstitutionally perpetuating a war they know is false and they know the Americans suffering are collateral damage to their profits. To appease these sleeze makes me queasy. But legally I have a remedy.☚

❝Even if the 2014 measure were to pass, it would leave California’s marijuana industry in limbo: ❞

☛industry, that is what it is about. The Commerce clause makes it Federal. If it doesn’t change Prop 215 then its an irrelevant political statement. With mandatory minimums and poor good hearted people believing they were innocent because the state said so. Now spending all their money on lawyers and serving mandatory sentences. Remove cannabis from the CSA. No tax, no regulations. Put the DEA and CAMP to work eradicating poison oak and ivy.☚

❝pot would be permitted on the state level❞

☛Cannabis is a plant. No one can really permit such a thing everyone already owns. Government is to protect people from people, not from themselves. Urine testing should be Unconstitutional according to Leary v US. Yet the Supreme gave away the 4th amendment last week with the sniff dogs can make mistakes too, they’re only human,and cops don’t go fishing. Unanimous. Food-stamps and Pell grants Tuition assistance. Califano asylums for $5k to cure you of Ganja addiction in 28 days. The 95% that please bargain out of jury trials. Religious rehabilitation have you cured when you find geeezous. Prison rape as deterrents to growing pot for sick people is the dysfunctional CSA law and if society can’t see the dysfunction. I see no future in such a place. If you are going to sell it, no state law can protect you and no state law enforcement can stop you as it is. These state props with restrictions to individuals are akin to your friend giving you permission to steal from the store.☚

❝but remain illegal on the federal level.❞

☛To sell or possess more than reasonable amounts.☚

❝Hoping to rectify that, a pair of Democratic congressmen, Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) introduced a bill earlier this month that would allow any state that to chooses to legalize marijuana to do so unperturbed, as long as federal taxes are paid on all sales.❞

☛allow? that would allow any state that to chooses? So chooses maybe? unperturbed… he he he. as long as federal taxes are paid on all sales. This won’t stop them from raiding you and arresting you for Commerce violations but you will escape tax evasion charges. You can’t use any standard deductions and like licensing. Oh hey there IRS I paid you guys off last year why you busting me? Never knew you grew till ya told us. Oh but they promised not to tell? How many ways can we web this sham? We pay cops to not enforce some laws, maybe they can wear a play book on their forearm like QB’s. We pay DEA to lie and manipulate statistics. We pay politicians to make these weird laws that aren’t legal but they send a message that we want to smoke pot, damnit! Legally? Oh. It taste the same either way. That seems to be the rig to old stoners as I have been toking 4 decades and haven’t sold a joint since 1972. After getting busted 4 times between 69 and 72, without one arrest. I thought I should count my blessings to find nice cops. Yet they had no problem busting me for underage drinking. Ummm In 1969 the marihuana tax act was over turned by the Supreme Court and Nixon’s arbitrary and capricious CSA wasn’t enacted until 1972. So I assume that was why I wasn’t arrested. Same as Obama not having jurisdiction over individuals. And why these appeasement’s harm people more than no laws at all. MMJ stipulations maintain the prohibition. When the Indians try to grow hemp they raid them. Incrementally retarded.☚

❝Meanwhile, up in Sacramento, a couple of legislators are looking to take on similar issues while leaving behind much of the political baggage that comes with advocating outright legalization. State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Carlsbad) recently introduced bills that would legalize California’s production of hemp.❞

☛Again with the side stepping reality. More appeasing the prisons in the name of being hip? I see someone who seems concerned that we should free the weed and I applaud his stance but then the actual legislation is moot. Another illogical enabling of the big lie Nixon started 40 years ago. CA needs to stand against the CSA and demand an investigation into the lobbyists and legislators perverting the Constitution. Not hide as children from their parents sneaking and lurking when it is nothing to be ashamed of. It is an excellent sustenance and medicine and stress reducer. Without the hangovers. Safer drivers meaning we need no piisstastes to profit more prohibitionists. Congress or the AG can remove cannabis and yet Wall St is holding them back. The bureaucracy is tax wasted but the profits made and profits not shared are a win win for Corporate World.☚